Blood Hunter

Blood Hunter Class Details

By Matt Mercer | Art by Joma Cueto

In a landscape tormented by all manner of beasts, devils, and abominations from beyond the veil, most live in fear of the dark, of superstition, and of the unknown. Some grow hardened by this experience, instead choosing to stand up and fight against the tide of shadow.

These folk are called ‘heroes.’

Some, however, are so fanatical and bent on destroying the anathema that plagues the countryside that they embrace dark, forbidden knowledge. They sacrifice some of their own vital force in dubious, forgotten blood rituals to better understand their enemies. Their methods sometimes blur the line between themselves and the evils they hunt, calling their own humanity into question.

These folk are called ‘Blood Hunters.’

Become the Enemy to Understand the Enemy

These warriors have chosen to merge the martial pursuit of deadly weapon play with elements of vicious blood magic to create impressively effective combat techniques. They surrender their own vitality to form a bond with their weapon, allowing them to harness the elements in a whirlwind of dangerous strikes. Their deep knowledge and unnatural connection with wicked creatures allows them an advantage in tracking, hunting, and destroying even the most resilient of abhorrent fiends. By mastering control over their own lifeblood and the lifeblood of others, they gain insight into their foes and the ability to manipulate them from the inside. Some brew crude, poisonous alchemical tonics from the harvested organs of felled monsters, mutating their blood and bodies to be even further in tune with their quarry, becoming something other than human themselves. Others go further, reaching out and making a pact with lesser dark entities in hopes of using their grim gifts against greater evils. Many blood hunters push too far for their goals, falling to their own hubris and becoming the monsters they’ve chosen to hunt. This is the greatest fear of a blood hunter, and of the societies at large that shun them.

Almost as Feared as their Prey

The nature of their abilities and training has bred many rumors across the lands, some of which aren’t too far from the truth. Common folk consider them cursed, often turning them away at the door. Nobles see them as occasionally convenient, but a generally reviled nuisance. Mages find them useful allies if kept at arm’s length, while pious clerics and paladins keep their distance with a watchful eye. To be a blood hunter is to accept a life of solitude until proven trustworthy and dependable.

Creating a Blood Hunter

As you create your blood hunter, keep in mind how your character relates to society and why they have taken to a life of monster hunting. Do they wish to protect society and as such have paid the ultimate price? Do they have a family they wish to protect at all costs? Did they make a mistake that cost them greatly, and they wish to make amends for their folly? Or are they bent on vengeance for some past wound or loss that drove them to choose this dark warrior’s path?

While a blood hunter begins their journey alone, they also acknowledge the strength in numbers and the benefits of trusted companions. Many blood hunters keep allies to both ensure that they succeed at their hunts, and to keep a watchful eye to prevent them from losing touch with their humanity. A blood hunter without conviction is lost, and often an honest friend is enough to keep them from straying.

QUICK BUILD

You can make a blood hunter quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength or Dexterity your highest ability score, depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons, or ranged and finesse weapons. Make Wisdom your next highest if you plan to focus on the potency of blood curses and mystical power. Choose a higher Constitution next if you wish to use Crimson Rite on multiple weapons or want to have extra hit points to burn on amplifying blood curses. Then, select the Haunted One or Acolyte background.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

(a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons

(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) hand crossbow and 20 bolts

(a) studded leather armor or (b) scale mail armor

an explorer’s pack

Hunter's Bane

Beginning at 1st level, you have survived the imbibing of the Hunter’s Bane, a poisonous alchemical concoction that alters your life’s blood, forever binding you to the darkness and honing your senses against it.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track Fey, Fiends, and Undead, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. If you are actively tracking one of these creature types, you cannot be surprised by any creatures of that type. You can only be tracking one type of creature at a time.

Upon reaching 11th level, you can flare the internal toxic scars from the ritual, using the pain to give clarity, or promote anger. You can choose to suffer damage equal to your crimson rite damage die to gain advantage on a Wisdom (Insight) check or Charisma (Intimidation) check.

Crimson Rite

At 1st level, you learn to invoke a rite of blood magic within your weapon at the cost of your own vitality. Choose to learn one rite from the Primal Rites list below. You cannot change this choice.

As a bonus action, you imbue a single weapon with the elemental energy of a known rite until your next short or long rest. While active, attacks from this weapon deal an additional 1d4 rite damage of the chosen elemental type. Rite damage is considered magical. The rite damage die changes as you gain blood hunter levels, as shown in the crimson rite damage die column of the blood hunter table. Should your weapon leave your grip, the rite fades immediately. An active rite on a weapon thrown fades directly after the attack is complete.

When a crimson rite is activated, you suffer damage equal to your character level, and you reduce your maximum hit points by an amount equal to your character level. These lost maximum hit points return once the rite fades and cannot be restored otherwise. When a rite fades, no hit points are regained as part of the restoring of maximum hit points.

Crimson rite can be used on multiple weapons, costing additional hit point loss. Most weapons can only be subject to a single rite at any given time. Each end of a polearm or quarterstaff is treated as a separate weapon for the purposes of this feature. A rite can be allowed to fade at any time (no action required).

You gain access to an additional Primal Rite at 6th level and 11th level. You may learn an Esoteric Rite at 14th level.

Primal Rites

Choose from the following:

Rite of the Flame, Rite of the Frozen, Rite of the Storm

Esoteric Rites

Choose from the following:

Rite of the Roar, Rite of the Oracle, Rite of the Dead

Rite of the Dead

Your rite damage is necrotic type.

Rite of the Flame

Your rite damage is fire type.

Rite of the Frozen

Your rite damage is cold type.

Rite of the Oracle

Your rite damage is psychic type.

Rite of the Roar

Your rite damage is thunder type.

Rite of the Storm

Your rite damage is lightning type.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Blood Maledict

At 2nd level, you gain the knowledge to further channel, and sacrifice, a part of your vital essence to curse and manipulate your enemies. You gain one blood curse of your choice, detailed in the “blood curses” section. You learn one additional blood curse of your choice, and you can choose one of the blood curses you know and replace it with another blood curse, at 5th, 9th, 13th, 16th, and 20th level.

When you use your Blood Maledict, you choose which curse to invoke. While invoking a blood curse, but before it affects the target, you may choose to amplify the curse by suffering damage equal to a roll of your crimson rite damage die. An amplified curse gains an additional effect, noted in the curse’s description. Creatures that do not have blood in their bodies are immune to blood curses (DM’s discretion).

You can use this feature once. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Blood Maledict feature twice between rests, at 11th level you can use it three times between rests, and at 17th level, you can use it four times between rests.

Blood Curses

The blood curses are presented in alphabetical order.

Blood Curse of Binding

As a bonus action, you can attempt to bind an enemy no more than one size larger than you within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or have their speed be reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.

Amplify. This curse becomes ongoing, and can affect a creature regardless of their size category. At the end of each of its turns, the cursed can make another Strength saving throw. On a success, this curse ends. You can end the curse whenever you like (no action required).

Blood Curse of Mutual Suffering

As a bonus action, you can link to a creature within 30 feet for up to a minute, forcing them to share in the pain they inflict upon you. The next time the cursed creature damages you with a weapon attack, this curse deals necrotic damage to the cursed creature equal to half of the damage you suffered. This curse then ends.

Amplify. This curse instead deals damage equal to the damage you suffered, and it ignores necrotic resistance.

Blood Curse of Purgation

As a bonus action, you can manipulate the vitality of a creature within 60 feet to expunge a corruption in their blood. The target creature can immediately make a saving throw against a poisoned condition afflicting it.

Amplify. Your target can instead immediately make a saving throw against one other condition afflicting it. This condition can be blinded, deafened, or paralyzed.

Blood Curse of Spell Sunder

When an enemy casts a spell within 60 feet that requires a spell attack roll and targets you, you can use your reaction to rend the spell from the air, imposing disadvantage on the spell attack roll.

Amplify. You make a Wisdom ability check. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the creature’s spell misses you automatically.

Blood Curse of the Eyeless

When an enemy who is not immune to blindness within 60 feet makes a weapon attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.

Amplify. Following the triggering attack, the affected enemy has disadvantage on the next attack roll they make.

Blood Curse of the Fallen Puppet

The moment a creature falls unconscious or dies within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give that creature a final act of aggression. That creature immediately makes a single weapon attack against a target of your choice within its attack range. After the attack, the creature returns to being unconscious or dead.

Amplify. You grant a bonus to the attack roll and damage roll of the cursed creature’s attack equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

Blood Curse of the Fending Rite

When an enemy casts a spell that requires a Dexterity saving throw, you can use your reaction to deflect the spell with your crimson rite. You gain a bonus to the initial saving throw against that spell equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). This curse is invoked before the saving throw is rolled.

Amplify. You grant all allies within 5 feet of you this bonus to their saving throw against the triggering spell as well.

Blood Curse of the Marked

As a bonus action, you can mark an enemy within 60 feet. Until the end of your turn, all crimson rite damage you deal to the target is doubled.

Amplify. You cause the marked target to also lose resistance to your rite damage type until the beginning of your next turn.

Blood Hunter Order

At 3rd level, you commit to an order of blood hunter martial focus. Choose Order of the Mutant, Order of the Ghostslayer, Order of the Profane Soul, or Order of the Lycan, all detailed at the end of the class description. The order you choose grants you features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Grim Psychometry

When you reach 9th level, you can take 10 minutes to meditate on an object to discern vague details regarding any lingering evil or wicked past surrounding it. Make a Wisdom ability check. Based on the result, the DM may reveal obscure information about dark events that may have previously surrounded the object, or hints toward a sinister purpose. This feature has no effect on objects untouched by evil. An object can only be targeted by this feature once, and future attempts reveal no further details. You cannot use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

Dark Velocity

Upon reaching 10th level, you beckon the surrounding shadows to grant you unnatural swiftness on the battlefield. You gain darkvision out to 30 feet, or if you have darkvision, extend it out an additional 30 feet. While in dim light or darkness, your speed increases by 10 feet, and attacks of opportunity made against you have disadvantage.

Hardened Soul

When you reach 14th level, you can no longer become frightened, and you have advantage on saving throws against magical Charm effects.

Sanguine Mastery

Upon becoming 20th level, your ability to harness your pain, and the pain of your foes, is perfected. When you are below one fourth of your current maximum hit points, all of your crimson rite damage dice are maximized.

In addition, when you critically hit with a weapon attack that bears your crimson rite, you regain a use of your Blood Maledict feature.

Blood Hunter Orders

There are a handful of secretive orders of blood hunters that guard their cryptic techniques and blasphemous rituals. One must adhere to one of these orders to even be granted access to the Hunter’s Bane rite that starts their journey, and only once they’ve proven their ability will the secrets of the order begin to be revealed. Some even wait a few years before they are sure they want to continue down this cursed path. Either or, it’s within these small, enigmatic sects that the real power of a blood hunter is learned.

Order of the Ghostslayer

The Order of the Ghostslayer is the oldest and most driven of the orders, having rediscovered the secrets of blood magic and refined them for combat against the scourge of undeath. Ghostslayers seek out and study the moment of death, obsessing over the mysteries of the transition. Some will sit with the terminally diseased to closely witness their passing, while others go so far as to deliberately have a near-death experience, allowing them to tune their body and senses to the ethereal realms beyond.

Rite of the Dawn

When you join this order at 3rd level, you learn the esoteric rite Rite of the Dawn (detailed below).

Rite of the Dawn. Your rite damage is radiant type. The damage you suffer from activating this rite is halved.

If you hit an Undead creature with your Rite of the Dawn, it suffers additional radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Upon reaching 11th level, any creature you hit with your Rite of the Dawn suffers this additional radiant damage.

Hallowed Veins

Beginning at 7th level, your blood curses become honed to the fabric of a creature’s essence. Your blood curses can now affect any creature, regardless of their form or lack of blood.

In addition, when you amplify a use of your Blood Maledict feature, after rolling the amplify damage you would sustain, you may choose to reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Supernal Surge

Upon reaching 11th level, you’ve learned to briefly step into the spirit world, enabling a swift and deadly strike. When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can expend a use of this feature to attack three times, instead of twice, and you temporarily become spectral. Until the end of your next turn, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. If you are inside an object when you are no longer spectral, you are immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that you can occupy and take force damage equal to twice the number of feet you moved. You may expend a use of this feature as a bonus action instead of making an attack.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Gravesight

At 15th level, you can see through magical darkness up to 30 feet, as well as see invisible creatures and objects up to 30 feet.

Vengeful Spirit

Upon reaching 18th level, you learn to project your spirit to fight on while on the edge of death. Whenever your hit points drop to 0, you can choose to let your soul emerge from your body to fight on. Your body remains unconscious and subject to death saving throws per normal. At the beginning of your next turn, you manifest a spirit form in your space that picks up your weapons and continues fighting on, acting on your turn and every one of your subsequent turns under your control. Your spirit form has your physical attributes and armor class, as well as your weapons and ammunition, and can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. This form is immune to cold, necrotic, and non-magical weapon damage. Your spirit form has access to all of your abilities and suffers no damage from your Crimson Rite feature.

If your spirit form takes any damage, your body dies, or you regain any hit points, your spirit form vanishes. If your spirit form vanishes, it drops your weapons in its space.

Order of the Lycan

Of the many terrible curses that plague the realm, few are as ancient or as feared as Lycanthropy. Passed through blood, this affliction seeds a host with the savage strength and hunger for violence of a wild beast. Those that shun the curse spend their lives burying their wild, bestial urges deep inside. However, the power of a rising full moon makes the curse too strong to resist, and the host transforms into a terrifying animal-humanoid hybrid controlled by murderous impulse. Those that embrace the dark Nature of their curse learn to harness their bestial gifts, but also succumb to the evil, vicious temperament that drives the beast within.

The Order of the Lycan is a proud order of blood hunters who undergo “The Taming”, a ceremonial inflicting of lycanthropy from a senior member. These hunters then use their abilities to harness the power of the monster they harbor without losing themselves to it. Through intense honing of one’s own willpower, combined with the secrets of the order’s blood magic rituals, members learn to control and unleash their hybrid form for short periods of time. Enhanced physical prowess, unnatural resilience, and razor sharp claws make these warriors a terrible foe to any evil that crosses their path. Yet, no training is perfect, and without care and complete focus, even the greatest of blood hunters can temporarily lose themselves to the bloodlust.

THE ONUS OF LYCANTHROPY

Those inducted into the Order of the Lycan choose this path with conviction, understanding the terrible burden it is and the challenges it brings. Where most who embrace this curse grow wicked, mad, even murderous, these blood hunters accept the gifts of the beast while maintaining control through intense training and blood magic. These factors enable a member of the Order of the Lycan to prevent the spread of their curse through blood, should they wish to. One of the most sacred oaths of this order is to never infect another without the order’s sanction.

Should a member of the Order of the Lycan be cured of the lycanthropic curse, it is a terrible shame on their name, the order, and those who carry the curse still. There have been passages written about members being cleansed against their will, but those brothers and sisters readily return to the order to undergo a renewed initiation of The Taming, reintroducing the curse to their bodies and restoring their honor.

Lycanthropy comes in many forms. Each version of the curse is bound to a specific beast: wolf, bear, tiger, boar, and rat are a few of the more well-known variations. The strain of the curse defines the beast a hybrid form will share, but the features the curse bestows remain relatively uniform across strains.

Heightened Senses

Starting when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to adopt the improved abilities of a natural predator. You gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Hybrid Transformation

Upon choosing this archetype at 3rd level, you begin to learn to control the lycanthropic curse that now lives in your blood. As an action, you can transform into your Hybrid form. This form lasts for 10 minutes. You can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this form. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using an action on your turn. You automatically revert to your normal form if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

The benefits of this form replace the rules for Lycanthropy within the Monster’s Manual.

You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. While you are transformed, you gain the following features:

Feral Might. You gain a bonus to melee damage rolls equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You also have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.

Resilient Hide. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered. While you are not wearing heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC.

Predatory Strikes. Your unarmed strikes are considered a single weapon in regards to your crimson rite feature. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolIs of your unarmed strikes. When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike, you can make another unarmed strike as a bonus action.

Cursed Weakness. Your have vulnerability to damage from silvered weapons.

Bloodlust. At the start of your turn, if you’ve taken any damage since the beginning of your last turn, you must make a Wisdom saving throw to maintain control. The DC equals 10, or half of the total damage you’ve taken from attacks since your last turn, whichever number is higher. On a failed save, you must move directly towards the nearest creature to you and use the Attack action against that creature. If there is more than one possible target, the DM chooses the target. You then regain control for the remainder of your turn.

If you are under an effect that prevents you from concentrating (like the Barbarian’s rage feature), you automatically fail this saving throw.

Stalker's Prowess

At 7th level, your speed increases by 10 feet. You also can add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet to your high jump distance. In addition, your hybrid form gains the Improved Predatory Strikes feature.

Improved Predatory Strikes. When you have an active rite while in your hybrid form, your unarmed strikes are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Advanced Transformation

Starting at 11th level, you learn to unleash and control more of the beast within. You can now transform into your hybrid form as a bonus action, and your hybrid transformation now lasts for up to 30 minutes.

In addition, your hybrid form gains the Lycan Regeneration and Beastly Precision features.

Lycan Regeneration. At the start of each of your turns, you regain hit points equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) if you have no more than half of your hit points left. You don't gain this benefit if you have 0 hit points.

Iron Volition

Beginning at 15th level, you’ve honed your willpower to better resist the violent urges of your lycanthropic curse. Whenever you make a Wisdom saving throw to maintain control of your hybrid form, you do so with advantage.

In addition, your hybrid form gains the Pack Hunter feature.

Pack Hunter. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

Hybrid Transformation Mastery

At 18th level, you have wrestled your inner predator and mastered it. You can now use your hybrid transformation feature three times between rests.

You also gain the Blood Curse of the Howl for your Blood Maledict feature. This does not count against your blood curses known.

Blood Curse of the Howl. As an action, you howl at any number of creatures within 30 feet, chilling their blood and stunning them with fear. Any of the target creatures that can hear you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If they fail their saving throw by 5 or more, they are stunned until the end of your next turn instead. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this blood curse for the next 24 hours.

Amplify. This curse can target any number of creatures within 60 feet of you.

Order of the Mutant

The process of consuming the Hunter’s Bane is a painful, scarring, and often fatal experience. Those that survive find themselves irrevocably changed, enhanced. Some found this experience exalting, embracing the ability to alter one’s own physiology through corrupted alchemy.

Over generations of experimentation, a splinter order of blood hunters began to emerge, one that focused on brewing toxic elixirs to modify their capabilities in battle, altering their blood and, over time become something beyond human. They called themselves the Order of the Mutant.

Formulas

Beginning at 3rd level, you choose to learn three mutagen formulas. Your formula options are detailed at the end of this order description. You gain an additional formula at 7th level, 11th level, 15th level, and 18th level.

Additionally, when you gain a new mutagen formula, you can choose one of the formulas you already know and replace it with another mutagen formula.

Mutagen Craft

At 3rd level, you can take a short rest to concoct a single mutagen. Consuming a single mutagen requires a bonus action, and the effects (including side effects) last until you complete a short or long rest, or spend an action to focus and flush the toxins from your system.

Mutagens are designed for your biology. They have no effect on large or larger creatures, and only impart the side effects on other medium or smaller creatures that drink the entire mutagen. They are also unstable by nature, losing their potency over time and becoming inert if not swallowed before you finish your next short or long rest.

Your body will begin to better utilize the toxins you instill it with as you grow in power and experience. These advancing mutations may be signified by a Mutation score.

Mutation Score = your blood hunter level divided by 4, rounded up.

Advanced Mutagen Craft

Upon reaching 7th level, when you take a short rest to concoct a mutagen, you can now create two. Mutagens must be different formulas, and can be ingested with overlapping effects that last until you finish your next short or long rest. Each mutagen still takes a separate bonus action to imbibe.

Once you reach 15th level, you can now create three mutagens during a short rest.

Strange Metabolism

Beginning at 11th level, you can use a bonus action to instill a burst of adrenaline to temporarily resist the negative effects of a mutagen. You can choose to ignore the side effect of a mutagen affecting you for 1 minute.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Robust Physiology

At 15th level, your body has begun to adapt to toxins and venoms, ignoring their corroding effects. You gain immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Advanced Mutagen Craft

Upon reaching 15th level, when you take a short rest to concoct a mutagen, you can now create three. Mutagens must be different formulas, and can be ingested with overlapping effects that last until you finish your next short or long rest. Each mutagen still takes a separate bonus action to imbibe.

Exalted Mutation

At 18th level, your body has begun producing one of your toxins naturally. Choose one of your known mutagen formulas. You gain the benefits and side effects of this mutagen permanently, at all times. You cannot change this choice of formula after this feature is acquired.

Mutagens

These mutagens are presented in alphabetical order. Some mutagens require a number of levels in blood hunter before you can gain the formula. You can learn a mutagen at the same time you meet its prerequisites.

Aether

Prerequisite: 11th level

You gain a flying speed of 20 feet.

Side effect: You have disadvantage on all Strength and Dexterity ability checks.

Wariness

Order of the Profane Soul

The magics adopted by the wayward blood hunter prove formidable against many an evil across the realm. However, the darkest of abominations draw from an ancient well of cruel, unfathomable power. These terrors can control shadows to do their bidding, hide in plain sight among the noblest of nobles, and bend the minds of the most stalwart warrior with but a glance. These fiends are far trickier to hunt, and many lost their lives in pursuit of such wickedness.

A small sect of blood hunters had finally had enough and delved into this same well of corrupting arcane knowledge, making pacts with lesser evils to better combat the greater. While they may have lost a part of themselves, the power gained far outweighed the price, for even devils now quake when they know they’ve drawn the attention of the Order of the Profane Soul.

Otherworldly Patron

When you reach 3rd level, you strike a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice: the Archfey, the Fiend, or the Great Old One, each detailed in the warlock section of the Player's Handbook, the Undying in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, or the Celestial or Hexblade in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Your choice augments some of your order features.

The Archfey

Your patron is a lord or lady of the fey, a creature of legend who holds secrets that were forgotten before the mortal races were born. This being’s motivations are often inscrutable, and sometimes whimsical, and might involve a striving for greater magical power or the settling of age-old grudges. Beings of this sort include the Prince of Frost; the Queen of Air and Darkness, ruler of the Gloaming Court; Titania of the Summer Court; her consort Oberon, the Green Lord; Hyrsam, the Prince of Fools; and ancient hags.

The Celestial

Your patron is a powerful being of the Upper Planes. You have bound yourself to an ancient empyrean, solar, ki-rin, unicorn, or other entity that resides in the planes of everlasting bliss. Your pact with that being allows you to experience the barest touch of the holy light that illuminates the multiverse.

The Fiend

You have made a pact with a fiend from the lower planes of existence, a being whose aims are evil, even if you strive against those aims. Such beings desire the corruption or destruction of all things, ultimately including you. Fiends powerful enough to forge a pact include demon lords such as Demogorgon, Orcus, Fraz’Urb-luu, and Baphomet; archdevils such as Asmodeus, Dispater, Mephistopheles, and Belial; pit fiends and balors that are especially mighty; and ultroloths and other lords of the yugoloths.

The Great Old One

Your patron is a mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality. It might come from the Far Realm, the space beyond reality, or it could be one of the elder gods known only in legends. Its motives are incomprehensible to mortals, and its knowledge so immense and ancient that even the greatest libraries pale in comparison to the vast secrets it holds. The Great Old One might be unaware of your existence or entirely indifferent to you, but the secrets you have learned allow you to draw your magic from it.

The Hexblade

You have made your pact with a mysterious entity from the Shadowfell — a force that manifests in sentient magic weapons carved from the stuff of shadow. The mighty sword Blackrazor is the most notable of these weapons, which have been spread across the multiverse over the ages. The shadowy force behind these weapons can offer power to warlocks who form pacts with it. Many hexblade warlocks create weapons that emulate those formed in the Shadowfell. Others forgo such arms, content to weave the dark magic of that plane into their spellcasting.

The Undying

Death holds no sway over your patron, who has unlocked the secrets of everlasting life, although such a prize — like all power — comes at a price. Once mortal, the Undying has seen mortal lifetimes pass like the seasons, like the flicker of endless days and nights. It has the secrets of the ages to share, secrets of life and death. Beings of this sort include Vecna, Lord of the Hand and the Eye; the dread Iuz; the lich-queen Vol; the Undying Court of Aerenal; Vlaakith, lich-queen of the githyanki; and the deathless wizard Fistandantalus.

Pact Magic

When you reach 3rd level, you can augment your combat techniques with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 in the Player's Handbook for the Warlock spell list.

Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn an additional warlock cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Profane Soul Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level.

To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a short or long rest.

For example, when you are 8th level, you have two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell witch bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 2nd-level spell.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. At 3rd level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Profane Soul table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 11th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class and order, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace is with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

BLOOD HUNTER LEVEL

CANTRIPSKNOWN

SPELLSKNOWN

SPELLSLOTS

SLOTLEVEL

3rd

2

2

1

1st

4th

2

2

1

1st

5th

2

3

2

1st

6th

2

3

2

1st

7th

2

4

2

2nd

8th

2

4

2

2nd

9th

2

5

2

2nd

10th

3

5

2

2nd

11th

3

6

2

2nd

12th

3

6

2

2nd

13th

3

7

2

3rd

14th

3

7

2

3rd

15th

3

8

2

3rd

16th

3

8

2

3rd

17th

3

9

2

3rd

18th

3

9

2

3rd

19th

3

10

2

4th

20th

3

11

2

4th

Rite Focus

Begining at 3rd level, your weapon becomes a core to your pact with your chosen dark patron. While you have an active rite, you can use your weapon as a spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) for your spells. Your chosen pact also enhances your rite.

The Archfey

If you deal rite damage to a creature, that creature loses any half or three-quarters cover bonuses, as well as invisibility, until the beginning of your next turn.

The Celestial

You can expend a use of your Blood Maledict feature as a bonus action to heal one creature within 60 feet of you. They regain hit points equal to your crimson rite damage die rolled twice + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1).

The Fiend

While using the Rite of the Flame, if you roll a 1 on your rite damage die, you may reroll the die. You may reroll only once per attack.

The Great Old One

Whenever you deal a critical hit to a creature, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, the creature is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.

The Hexblade

Whenever you target a creature with a blood curse, your next attack against the cursed creature is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the attack.

The Undying

Mystic Frenzy

Beginning at 7th level, when you use your action to cast a cantrip, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.

Revealed Arcana

At 7th level, your dark patron grants you the rare use of a dangerous arcane spell based on your pact.

The Archfey

You can cast blur once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Celestial

You can cast lesser restoration once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Fiend

You can cast scorching ray once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Great Old One

You can cast detect thoughts once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Hexblade

You can cast branding smite once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Undying

You can cast blindness/deafness once using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Diabolic Channel

At 11th level, you can temporarily infuse your rite with the seed of a powerful spell. As an action, you can imbue your rite-enhanced weapon with one warlock spell you can cast or is already active, then make a single attack with that weapon. The spell must be using a warlock or profane soul spell slot. If that attack hits, all spell attack rolls for the imbued spell hit the target automatically and are considered part of the single weapon attack. The target takes weapon damage, and is subject to the effects of the spell, expending a spell slot accordingly. If the attack has advantage, the target’s initial saving throw against the spell has disadvantage. If the attack misses, the spell has no effect. Area spells originate from the target’s space.

The spell must be of 1st level or higher, have a casting time of 1 action, or require an action to activate an already active concentration spell.

Unsealed Arcana

At 15th level, your dark patron grants you the rare use of an additional arcane spell based on your pact.

The Archfey

You can cast slow once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Celestial

You can cast revivify once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Fiend

You can cast fireball once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Great Old One

You can cast haste once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Hexblade

You can cast blink once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

The Undying

You can cast bestow curse once without using a profane soul spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Soul Syphon

When you reach 18th level, you learn to sacrifice the souls of powerful foes to your dark patron in exchange for immediate power. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, kill the creature, and they have a challenge rating of 15 or above, you recover an expended spell slot.

I'm very confused. I made a dex build with the intent of going order of they lycan. In the meanwhile at level 1 my character has a longsword... not a greatsword. This turns out to be a Str. based attack.

What's the right way to build this and still not be a sissy when using a melee attack so that the dex still counts when i shift?

Does Precision lower your health regeneration from Reconstruction? (Order of the mutant mutagens).

Does Blood Curse of the Marked amplification remove their resistance to any incoming damage from that rite type? Or just against that rite's damage.

I just started playing a lv 16 full blood hunter goblin order of the mutant today. The DM is being very nice to even allow it. So reasoning/specific wording would be nice instead of just 'yes/no' answers. Thanks in advance.

I'm very confused. I made a dex build with the intent of going order of they lycan. In the meanwhile at level 1 my character has a longsword... not a greatsword. This turns out to be a Str. based attack.

What's the right way to build this and still not be a sissy when using a melee attack so that the dex still counts when i shift?

In the strictest sense I would say yes, Precision halves Reconstruction regeneration, only because regeneration is a type of healing. However, I can definitely see the argument that they should be treated separately because normally I think of healing as potions, spells, and rests, not abilities. And with the imbibing of the mutuagen that's essentially what it becomes, an ability. But then again, this is just my opinion so, I think what's important is that you and your DM are on the same page whichever way you choose.

As for your second question; yes, that's the point of amplifying the Blood Curse of the Marked, to cut resistance to the rite type

I think being able to turn into a beast 3 times by lvl 18 is not that good by that time you should have a mastery of it and be able to turn into it any number of time's like the barb does with his rage.

So when determining how many times you can use the Blood Maledict feature and how many Blood Curses you know, do you use your blood hunter class level or your total class level? This also applies to Rite of the Dawn through Ghostslayer which doesnt indicate class or character level.

So when determining how many times you can use the Blood Maledict feature and how many Blood Curses you know, do you use your blood hunter class level or your total class level? This also applies to Rite of the Dawn through Ghostslayer which doesnt indicate class or character level.

It's the same as multiclassing for any class. The table refers to the number of Blood Hunter levels you have, not your total number of levels. Everything refers to your class level, and the only things that go by your character levels are proficiency bonus and your HP. See the multiclassing section of the PHB